1. Proofread
While you work through the drafting phase of your resume you should always be proofreading. Your resume is the first impression an employer gets, so make it count. It’s a great idea to have a family member or friend look over your final draft. This will give you an outside perspective and fresh ideas. Tired eyes often miss grammatical errors that could make the difference for a hiring manager.
2. Keep it up to date
Making sure your resume is up to date right before you submit it shows employers that you are invested in your job search and you are being open about your current and past work experiences.
3. Stick with traditional formats: bullet points are a plus!
Candidates often use the resume as an attempt to stand out, to express their individuality. In truth, the resume is great time to exemplify your professionalism. Employers are looking for information about your skill set and experience. Using bullet points to describe your day-to-day responsibilities is a great way to keep your resume neat, organized, and easy to read.
4. Use proper tense
Using improper tense or a mix of past and present tense is a very common error. Luckily, it’s easy to catch and fix! Past tense should be used for any position that you no longer hold. Present tense should be used for any position you currently hold. It’s as simple as that!
5. Avoid repetition
Varied language adds sophistication to your resume. You want to keep the reader interested, so repetitive language can be a snooze. If you’ve shared the same tasks at different jobs, try incorporating something that was unique to a position, rather than listing the same bullet point twice.
6. Your email address says a lot about you
When putting an email address on your resume make sure that it’s a reflection of your professional life not your personal life, i.e., first.last@example.com, or firstinitiallastname00@example.com. You want to avoid any nicknames or overly personal usernames. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re using an updated service. This shows hiring managers that you keep up with changing technologies. Gmail and Outlook are great options.
7. Specify related experience
Taking a little extra time to tailor your resume to the job posting is great way to show employers that you have all the necessary qualifications they’re looking for. Try using the same verbs and language to show why you’re the perfect fit.
8. Be thorough but concise
You want to include more the just 2-3 words in a bullet point but keeping it general will give the interviewer an opportunity to ask for a more in-depth description of some things. That’s when you’ll get a chance to extrapolate on the skills and responsibilities you include on your resume.
9. Leave the summary for your Cover Letter
A hiring manager will assess their own summary of your work experience and how it applies to the position’s requirements. There really isn’t a need to include a summary of yourself. The appropriate place to build on your resume is in a cover letter and in an interview.
10. Other Interests? We’re not interested.
Coworkers and employers will get to know you in due time, so keep hobbies off your resume. Let hiring managers and interviewers seek out your relatable interests after they’ve determined that you can fulfill the role’s formal qualifications.
